3DY/C filter, POTENTIAL to have a great picture

inconsistent picture quality, inability to get good service.

when i first got this set, i must admit that the picture quality was terrific. like some of the reviews below state, the set needs to be adjusted often depending on the signal quality and source. from the factory default settings, you'll almost always have to tone down the color adjustment to 20-25 and the picture adjustment to 45-50. the 3D Y/C filter needs to be turned off if you're looking at old video tapes or have a weak or leaky signal coming in. otherwise it 'll magnify any problems in the video display.

now, to the really bad part: within a few weeks of getting it, this set developed a slight green tint. the authorized in-home service tech attempted to repair it and actually added a new problem - washed out blacks (wrong adjustment of the screen voltage?). so, i took it to the panasonic factory service center where i was told that the authorized in-home tech hadn't done a very good job. interestingly, they also found that the factory set picture was out of alignment. but, their fix made it even greener and didn't affect the blacks. since that was a long trip, i then opted for another local authorized service tech who, of course, said that the service center had adjusted it wrong. and, of course, he made it worse. so now, i'm in the midst of what will probably turn out to be fruitless discussions with both panasonic and "the good guys" to get a new set or my money back.

a word to the wise: if you have someone work on your set, make sure that they actually know what they're doing. this set is so new that the first tech didn't even have the new manual (w/about 20 default setting numbers for the picture quality controlable through the technician's access on your remote)so he guesstimated. the last tech had the manual but hadn't even taken it out of the shrink wrap yet. the end product is that these techs (and i'm guessing even the one in the factory service center) plug in a generator, try a variety of settings until they get what appears to be an accurate gray scale and then proclaim that the set is fixed.

well, my set isn't fixed. it now has a very dark picture (again misadjustment of the screen voltage, green tinting, and blooming colors everywhere). ill trained and ill-equipped technicians have made this set into a piece of junk.

3DY/C Filter

poor service

this is a follow up to my first review.

after a whole lot of complaining, i finally got panasonic's 800 customer service to hook me up with someone who could actually get action. within two days after that, i was contacted by the field service rep in northern california who actually came to my house. he and the tech he brought with him agreed that the picture tube was bad. he offered to replace the set and i'm supposed to get a new one in about 10 days.
he also informed me that the 3DY/C filter problem with old video tapes (sporadic bursts of brightness) was present in all the sets and that the problem can be fixed by having a technician access the tech menu and increase the filter's numeric value setting from 6 to 36. (of course, as i pointed out in my earlier review, you'd better hope that the tech you call knows what he's doing.)
throughout this ordeal, the "not so Good Guys" (where i bought the original set) were worthless in terms of providing any kind of decent customer service.
i'll post a third review after i get the new set.

flat screen, component video input

Tuner, color adjustments

This review is for the new CT-27SF37.

I bought this set as an open box sale from Crutchfield. It arrived without a scratch on it. After watching regular cable programming for about a week, I began to notice a lot of interferance on certain channels. I called the cable company (Suburban, or, I mean, Comcast)and they sent a repair guy out the next day. He replaced all the end connectors from the outside of the house to the TV. (Great service!) Had a strong signal (12db) at the TV, but still had interferance. I called Panisonic, they referred me to a local repair shop (40 miles away). Two weeks later I got the TV back with a new tuner installed. The reception is better than before but still a little snowy on some stations. It may still be the cable.(?) Overall the picture is excellent, but I think the Sony is better (and more expensive). The flat tube does reduce some glare compared with my old Sony (which self-destructed after 10 years). If you are replacing a Trinatron, you may not like this TV. The flesh tones are different (not as good) as the Sony and the color is difficult to adjust. I have it toned down to about 13 out of (I believe) 30. Very strong colors. Sharpness has to be at zero to reduce the snow. I haven't tried the component video input yet, video tapes look good. Oh yea, the "Illuminated remote" only illuminates the top half of the remote, not the numbers/VCR/PIP buttons. ???????

Everyone hates a critic......

Similar Products Used:

Sony Trin. 27"

black levels, case design

remote control "joystick", geometry problems, customer service

After taking a close look at the Sony Vega, I chose the Panasonic for it's picture quality and case design. The picture quality, once set using Video Essentials, is great. Black levels are fantastic, as is the three dimensional quality of the picture. There is a slight problem with bright whites that bloom - most noticeable on text such as opening credits, but for a $500 TV, I'm not expecting perfection.
The clean simple design of the set's case was another selling point. When the set is off, it still looks great. And when you're watching a movie, it practically disappears. I found the silver case of the Sony to be distracting, whether the set is on or off.
The only real problem I've had with the Panasonic was a slight tilt in the screen of about a 1/4" from right to left. After weeks of phone calls and run arounds from customer service, I arranged to have the set repaired. When I took it in, the Panasonic tech solved the tilt problem but created two new ones at the same time! Now I have geometric distortion (curving vertcals) on the right side of the screen and a picture that is substantially out of center. I'm waiting to hear from the tech on those issues. Hopefully they can be easily solved.
Overall, I still feel that this is a great interim set (until HDTV becomes more affordable) for the money. It has a superior picture to most sets in it's price range and has a more attractive cabinet than the big bulky silver thing from Sony. Even with the service issues, I'd go Panasonic again.

Great detail in standard picture, clarity and black level that gives an incredible image

Goes to the extreme when screen image is too bright or too dark, loses detail

If you're willing to accept the shortcomings, the Panasonic 27CTSF36 is an incredible television. Combined with a digital satellite source, I have never seen a better picture.

In scenes with lighting that is not to the extreme (not too dark and not too bright), picture detail is smooth, and colors are perfect. The set took a little bit of fiddling out of the box, and Video Essentials got it close, but a bit of fine-tuning perfected it. In a dark room, I've found that a brightness of 36 and contrast of 29 provide the best picture definition. Colors work well on the warm setting. Disable the AI picture, too.

Black level is better than any set I have ever seen. It took me a while to realize that this was the element that I had been missing in previous sets. Blacks are BLACK, with no indication of shifting.

People who have seen it have remarked that the picture from my satellite service (via one of the S-video inputs) is as close to DVD as they have ever seen a broadcast reach. DVDs look incredible, too.

Now for the bad stuff... as I stated in the weaknesses section, this TV has a hard time with extremes. No matter how you set the contrast, you'll get blooming on bright scenes. It's a minor annoyance, but it's noticeable. When it gets dark, you lose shadow detail, big time. There are times when dark scenes become masses of black with shimmering white highlights, but it happens infrequently. I've called a Panasonic dealer to check on these problems just in case, but I have a feeling that this is just the way the set is.

Despite its shortcomings, I'm thrilled with this set. The number of inputs allows me to attach all my sources without having to switch with my A/V receiver, and the picture is indescribably good 95% of the time. I wish you could disable the Velocity Scan Modulation, but the clean edges the set displays are worth the occassional jaggie (which I'm told is also part of digital satellite broadcasts).

For $700, I would have liked component inputs (thus the three stars for value), and the problems that I've had keep it from being a five star set, but I wouldn't trade my Superflat for anything else out there.

Absolutely outstanding picture quality; excellent sound

No front A/V inputs

This review is for a CT-27SF37. After a bad experience with a JVC 27-inch D-series (see my review in the JVC section), I proceeded to compare other products from Panasonic and Sony. Since I already had a bias toward Panasonic because of a good track record with my bedroom TV, I attempted to order a new 27-inch Tau series.

It seems that the 27-inch Tau is the TV that will never appear. It has received great reviews and a lot of hype, but apparently it is an extremely difficult TV to get. Apparently Panasonic hasn't "ramped up" the production capability yet.

After five weeks of waiting, I decided to purchase the CT-27SF37 Superflat instead. When I brought it home, I was overwhelmed. This is a fabulous television with an absolutely phenomenal picture and outstanding sound quality, a convenient remote, a great variety of features and a bulletproof reputation for reliability. The only drawback is the lack of A/V outputs in the front -- but I don't think I would use them much anyway.

This unit is a great combination of a black tube, a flat screen, surround sound and useful features. I even was able to get a small discount because of its ready availability and the fact that it has been replaced as the "newest big thing" by the Tau -- wherever it may be.

It seems that many people end up choosing between Sony and Panasonic according to personal preference. Sony seems to have brighter, more "processed" pictures, while Panasonic's units appear to be more natural and higher-contrast because of the darker tube. In my case, I prefer the Panasonic look. I highly recommend this set to anyone who wants a truly solid unit that should last for many years -- at least until HDTV becomes more commonplace.

Similar Products Used:

Replaced 15-year-old NEC and newer, defective JVC D-series; also compared products from Sony and Toshiba.

Picture Quality, On screen menu, speakers, flat screen, abundance of outputs

none

Although I have only had this TV since Christmas, I have to say I LOVE IT. The picture quality is awesome. The Panablack tube creates a rich and sharp look. I can't believe how much better the picture quality is compared to similar 27 inch TV's on the market. It almost seems like your getting a digital signal from regular cable. Thats how clear it looks. I watch alot of sports, and games look sweet on this unit. The on screen menu is really easy to use, and simple. The remote is good and it is backlit too. I don't have seperate speakers, so it was important for me to get a TV with good "stock" speakers. This TV doesn't dissapoint!! The similated surround sound is great!! Another cool thing about the TV is that is has mad outputs. 4 sets of RCA outs, 2 s-video outs, and 3 coax/cable outs (built in tuner). I chose this dual tuner PIP TV over the Sony, because it had a better picture, and the speakers sounded better. The Panasonic was a bit more money, but well worth it. I got a great deal at a local electronics store: $590. I highly reccommend this TV to anyone in the 27-inch Dual Tuner PIP market. I rate it 5/5 in value (hey until the digital TV's creep down in price, this is the next best thing for a fraction of the price). It also gets a 5/5 overall rating.

Great picture contrast,receives cable (without a box) clear as a photograph, 2 timers, 4 video inputs, ...

Picture needs constant adjustment. Edges of objects like faces are razor sharp but blurry within those lines (scan velocity modulation I think)Dark areas become totally dark and the white areas bloom/can't find a medium/ background light seems washed blue on many less bright telecasts...

At the showroom I thought it had the best picture of all shown but after getting it home it almost has to be adjusted to many different stations and different inputs! Not the natural color TV look I'm used to!!!

Similar Products Used:

JVC 27" and Sony 27"

Panasonic Quality, Picture Quality, Features, Perfect bedroom set!!

The remote control buttons that are used to switch from each component is not working very well anymore. The light button on the remote stopped working completely. Solution, I can always get another remote!!

I purchased this set when it first came out. I considered Panasonic after getting great quality from my Panasonic DVD player. It replaced a Sony 27" Trinitron (Tuner went out after 13 months, how convenient for Sony to have a 12 month warranty). I've owned this TV for two years now and have had no problems other than the remote (which could be attributed to a 2 year old child getting a hold of it). This set has been retired to the bedroom and is great for watching while laying in bed. The sleep timer is great!! TV's have improved a lot over the past two years, so I'd have to say this was a good purchase two years ago. And for those complaining about this set not having component inputs I say this: Component video inputs were not common when this set came out, especially on 27" TV's. And another thing, don't complain about a product not having a certain feature after you purchased the product. That makes you look ignorant. Next time do some research.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 27" Trinitron

Great Color, Front A/V connection

Screen alignment problem.

I bought this T.V. from International Stereo here in Edmonton. I won't get into it but I paid too much and realized later that I paid 150 dollars (CDN) for the dual tuner and I never use the feature. I'll never take my business to this place again. On to the T.V. ..
This t.v. has great color, black is black and whites are brilliantly white. The ease of use of remote + navigation through the menu is nice. Front A/V jacks are handy.

Problem: 1/4" to 1" difference vertically from left to right at the top when watching wide Screen DVD's. I thought the set took a bump which caused this anomoly but I'm convinced now after reading a few reviews that the flat screen and not properly being set up at the factory causes this, I am wondering however if I get a gun-alignment if this is going to help. Probably not. If anyone knows how I can get this fixed I'd appreciate some help. Thanx

Similar Products Used:

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